First of all, you must consider the difference between evaluation, assessment, and measurement.
Evaluation, Assessment, and Measurement
Evaluation
It is a purposeful, cyclical process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting relevant information in order to make qualitative judgments and take decisions concerning to certain performances, materials, activities, courses or programs in the light of certain aims, goals or objectives. Evaluation has two sides: Measurement and assessment.
Assessment
It is the act of collecting information on individual learners’ performance proficiency and achievement in the light of certain objectives. Therefore, assessment is personal and specific.
Two Types Of Assessment:
1. Formative
It is concerned mainly with forming and enhancing the process of learning. It is the ongoing assessment that teachers do in the classroom in order to decide to what extent they achieve their objectives or goals with the aim of making modifications to bring about improvements.
2. Summative
It is concerned with evaluating the whole knowledge of the learner and his/her progress & proficiency.
Measurement
It is the process of using certain tools, criteria and skills in order to make quantitative judgments of students’ achievements. Therefore, measurement is impersonal and objective. Tests are considered as the main tools of measurement.
Secondly, you must consider the difference between tests and assessment.
Five Main Differences Between Tests & Assessments
| Tests | Assessments |
| Usually announced so students can prepare for them. | Usually unannounced because the purpose is to informally check on students’ progress. |
| Are often achievement checks on a unit, a lesson or a chapter. | Are typically designed to check students’ progress informally to see what they need to learn or practice more. |
| Mainly result in a grade or a score. | Done many times and informally to emphasize the grade of test score. |
| Typically include different kinds of questions e.g. MCQs. | May include the use rubrics. |
| Occur at a single time and place. | Are often ongoing and continuous. |
If you choose to rely on written tests to assess your students and measure to what extent they’ve achieved the desired learning outcomes, you should consider that written tests cover little amount of the learning material, so you should prepare the items that show you that your students are moving on, and whether they have understood your explanation or they need more practice.
Ten Tips To Consider In Your Tests
The following ten points are important to consider so that you will be able to know to what extent the students have learnt and what their weaknesses are
- Ask open-ended questions starting with why and how.
- Ask for a summary of the lesson at the end.
- Use short tests/quizzes regularly and test one thing every time.
- Use “Complete the missing parts” with conversations.
- Ask for writing paragraphs without guiding words.
- Use mind map tools to encourage students to write.
- Ask students to prepare something and talk about it in front of the class.
- Encourage exchanging tests among students to mark.
- Use known rubrics to correct students’ writing tasks.
- Exploit games and puzzles to assess language usage.
Six Tips To Consider In Your Assessment
Before designing assessment tasks, you should keep in mind the following six points:
- Provide your students with the opportunity to show to what extent they have achieved the outcomes of learning the whole syllabus or the lesson at hand. Accordingly, your assessment should differentiate between those who have already learned and those who need revision or more practice.
- Focus only on the most important aspects of the course and the objectives that you set for each lesson or unit, rather than other details.
- Provide feedback on performance as soon as possible so that students may improve themselves. Remember that the main aim of assessment is that students are able to learn through the process of assessment and view assessment as part of their learning process.
- Provide a means of encouragement by giving students the chance to see and sense their success and progress. It builds and increases their self-confidence as achievers.
- Design clear assessment criteria and marking guidance that allow differentiation and make students feel that you are fair.
- Meet all of your students’ styles of learning by using different and various assessment means and tools but assess one thing at a time.
Final Word
Seeing growth and improvement can be a huge motivator for your students. But you can’t see growth if you don’t measure it. That’s why no great class is complete without some way of assessing students.
Not only is it a fantastic way for both you and your students to see what they’ve learned, but you can also use the results to help you plan future lessons.
However, don’t rely solely on one tool to assess your students! You should use alternative ways for assessment.
What tools do you use? Write what you already do to assess your students daily.
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